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Topic: Water Valve (Read 5504 times)

Interesting cut outs are what I really like. Ones that don't fit the norm. This is one of those.

I received a call from the water department about bees in a water valve. Now bees go into water meter boxes all the time. The are big boxes. Water valves are small about maybe 6" or 8" in diameter and they run about 4' deep. They also can fill up with water. So I make the run out and sure enough. There is a hive in this.

So there is no real way for me to cut this out effectively without destroying the hive. I am not interested in destroying the hive. It is jam packed with bees. So I take a nuc box. Remove the screened bottom and put it over the valve. I added five frames with some old comb I had from another cut out. There was some pollen in the cells. The bees started working it as soon as I put it over the valve.

I am going to leave it there for two weeks and then go back and check on it. If I can get the queen in there then I will slowly move the box over and use a trap out funnel to help remove the rest. Then I will clean out the valve. that's the plan. The reality will be different I am sure.

Sincerely,Brendhan

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The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Not really acceptable. The comb would get sucked in. It would be a massacre. The bees and the comb go down about three feet. If comb is in the way I try not to vac because it is just a death machine at that point.

Sincerely,Brendhan

Logged

The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

I like the rising water level, if you don't want the comb-brood. Stack with two nucs or boxes, whatever fits and pour the water in--sounds interesting. I would worry about leaving a box anywhere for a week or two. Someone will eventually mess with it.

I did not do a trap out right of the bat because I did not have the funnel or board with me. Also I wanted them to start working the frame sin the box first. I had to travel to Ft. Myers today so I did what I could based on the time I had.

I idea of doing a water level rise was something I considered. I have done sand level rise method for bees in block walls. The problem is that I have to pour the sand or water over or run a nozzle down and then pump the water in. None of which is a bad idea if you can be very patient. When I do a sand level rise I do it over two weeks also so they have time to deal with brood. Water won't usually stay that way for two weeks. I didn't want to do a quick flush because to many bees are likely to die that way or they abscond. Which isn't a bad idea so long as they don't fly way the hell off. I decided to take the more patient steps because of time allowed and methods that have worked.

None of the ideas mentioned are bad. I just did what I could with the time and materials I had.

Sincerely,Brendhan

Logged

The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

When I spoke with Brendhan last night, his idea was to try and save the genetics. Without brood nor the queen, this hive's genetics will not live on.

Placing the nuc and having the queen move up and laying in the nuc is the best way to go here, if indeed she does move up, which I suppose she very well may. If she does, even if he doesn't get her at least he has brood and eggs and they can make a new queen from that.

Could you take a frame of brood from another hive and put in the nuc to entice the queen up? I assume the only way for them to go back into the valve after foraging is through the hole in the nuc? If you supered it and had the hole only in the top nuc they would have farther to go, would this make them stop within the nucs better? Just wondering for future reference.